The invention relates to catalysts in general and more particularly to a catalyst for converting hydrocarbons, particularly higher hydrocarbons, mixed with a gas containing oxygen into gas mixtures containing carbon monoxide and hydrogen.
U.S. Pat. application Ser. No. 336,062 filed Feb. 26, 1973, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,926,850, teaches using a catalyst which contains at least one of the substances .gamma.-aluminum oxide and .eta.-aluminum oxide along with kaolinite and at least one of the transition metals of the periodic system of the elements as an active component for converting higher hydrocarbons into gas mixtures containing carbon monoxide, hydrogen, methane and carbon dioxide. Along with the hydrocarbons a gas containing oxygen is used, i.e., gas with oxygen in free or bound form. For converting hydrocarbons, particularly higher hydrocarbons, mixed with a gas containing oxygen into gas mixtures containing hydrogen and carbon monoxide, a catalyst which is prepared from a carrier material consisting of aluminum oxide and at least one thermally decomposable and/or reducible compound of one or more of the metals of the sixth secondary group of the periodic system of the elements applied to the carrier material or mixed therewith by annealing and activation through a heat treatment in a reducing atmosphere has also been proposed. In such a process the metal compound is converted, by the annealing and the heat treatment in a reducing atmosphere, into an active component consisting of metal and metal oxide. The carrier material consisting of .gamma.-Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 and/or .eta.-Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 as well as .delta.-Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 is prepared by the annealing of .gamma.-Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 or .eta.-Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 or a mixture of .gamma.-Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 and .eta.-Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 and has an alkali content of less than 0.2% by weight and a pore volume of at least 0.5 cm.sup.3 /g.